Secondary Succession

Edexcel A-level BiologyThe Nature of EcosystemsLesson 9 of 39

Secondary succession happens on land where soil is already present but the existing community has been removed or destroyed. Examples include land after a forest fire, a cleared woodland, an area after a flood, and an abandoned field.

Because soil is already there, it differs from primary succession:
• There is no need for pioneer lichens to weather rock and build soil.
• The soil already contains humus, mineral ions and a seed bank of seeds, roots, rhizomes and spores, as well as soil organisms such as earthworms and decomposers.
• The first colonisers are fast-growing species such as annual weeds and grasses, which germinate quickly from the seed bank or arrive as wind-dispersed seeds.

More in The Nature of Ecosystems

• Biotic Factors
• Biosphere
• Primary Succession
• Climax Community
• Case Study: Sand Dune Succession
• Light
• Temperature
• Wind and Water Currents

All 39 lessons in The Nature of Ecosystems · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics